Rocket launcher

ABSTRACT

A hand-held device in the nature of a tube has a spring pressed plunger with a firing point on the end which is releasable from a latched position to move forwardly to have the firing point engage the cap of a rocket to ignite the motor propellant therein. A cylindrical barrel on the forward end of the sleeve chambers the rocket which has means to retain it therein until sufficient pressure has been built up to maintain the rocket on a desired trajectory when launched.

a" States Patent 1 Mainhardt et al.

[451 Feb. 20, 1973 ROCKET LAUNCHER [75] Inventors: Robert Mainhardt, Diablo; Joseph J.

Cammorata, Danville, both of Calif.

[56] References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 914,341 6/1946 France ..8.9/1.806

Primary Examiner-Samuel W. Engle Attorney-Harness, Dickey & Pierce [57] ABSTRACT A hand-held device in the nature of a tube has a spring pressed plunger with a firing point on the end which is releasable from a latched position to move forwardly to have the firing point engage the cap of a rocket to ignite the motor propellant therein. A cylin drical barrel on the forward end of the sleeve chambers the rocket which has means to retain it therein until sufficient pressure has been built up to maintain the rocket on a desired trajectory when launched.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures ROCKET LAUNCHER This is a continuation of U.S. Pat. application Ser. No. 746,589, filed July 22, l968, and now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Reference may be had to the patent to R. Mainhardt et al., US. Pat. No. 3,378,944 for a disclosure of a flare launching device which launches a flare in the same manner as the present device which has been substantially simplified.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The flare discharge device embodies a sleeve having a plunger therein comprising a cylindrical body with a firing pin. A spring urges the plunger forwardly when released from a retracted position to strike the cap of the rocket which ignites the propellant charge of the motor thereof. The gas from the propellant charge drives the rocket as it escapes from nozzles at the rear of the rocket body. A time fuse ignites the flare material at the end of the flight of the rocket. A chamber for the rocket locates its cap in the path of the firing pin. Biasing means, such as a split wire ring or an O-ring is provided at the muzzle end of the chamber for retaining the rocket therewithin until sufficient pressure has been built up at its rear end to overcome the resistance of the ring at which time the pressure on the end of the rocket is sufiicient to direct and maintain it in a desired trajectory.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of a rocket propelling device embodying features of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a broken sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 1, taken on the line 2-2 thereof;

FIG. 3 is a broken view of structure, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 2, showing another form of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view of the structure illustrated in FIG. 3, taken on the line 4-4 thereof, and

FIG. 5 is a view of structure, similar to that illustrated in FIG. 2, showing another form which the invention may assume.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The rocket launching device of the present invention has a sleeve 12 containing a knurled end 13 and a cylindrical bore 14. A plunger 15 within the bore has a firing pin 16 on its forward end. Rearwardly of the plunger a spring is provided which is retained in the bore by a threaded head 17. An operating knob 18 has a stud 19 which is threaded into the plunger 15 by which it is retained in retracted position in a notch 21 communicating with a slot 22. The plunger 15 and firing pin 16 is retained in partially retracted position when the stud 19 is within the notch 21 and when moved therefrom into the slot 22 and released, the spring 20 drives the plunger 15 forwardly to cause the firing pin 16 to ignite the cap at the rear end of a rocket 23.

A rocket launching head 24 has a body 25 containing a rocket launching chamber 26 and a rearward threaded extension 27 which is threaded into the end of the sleeve 12. The forward end of the sleeve 12 has an aperture 28 through which the firing pin 16 passes when moved to engage the rocket cap. An internally threaded sleeve 29 is screwed upon a thread at the forward end of the body 25 for supporting an O-ring 31 within a groove between the sleeve and the threaded end in position to engage the outer wall of the rocket 23 near the base of the projecting ogive end. The rocket will be retained within the chamber 26 until sufficient pressure has been built up at the rear of the rocket to move it past the O-ring and launch it in a desired trajectory. The rocket will be maintained in the trajectory path by the gases being expelled from the nozzies at the rear end of the rocket. The pressure of the gas developed within the chamber 26 may pass outwardly through apertures 32 which are directed upwardly to prevent the flash thereof from burning the operators hand. i

In operation, the rocket 23 is inserted within the chamber 26 when the knob 18 has its stud 19 located within the notch 21. The rocket is retained in the chamber by the O-ring. It is only necessary to pull back on the knob to have the stud 19 disposed within the bottom of the slot 22. Upon pointing the launcher in the direction in which the rocket is to be fired the knob 18 is released to permit the plunger 15 to be driver forwardly by the spring 20 to have the firing pin 16 strike the cap of the rocket. The initially expelled gas will build up a pressure at the bottom of the rocket 23 as it is held by the O-ring 31. When sufficient pressure is built up to move the rocket from the chamber 26 sufficient gas is being expelled from the rocket nozzles to maintain the rocket on the trajectory with an accelerating force.

In FIG. 3, a split wire spring ring 35 is illustrated as being substituted for the O-ring 31. This provides a like force for retaining the rocket within the chamber when a large number are to be discharged therefrom as under such conditions the O-ring may lose its effectiveness from wear and heat. It will be noted that the wire ring 35 engages the rocket near the base of the ogive portion requiring it to be expanded before engaging the rocket wall.

While reference has been made to launching rockets 23 from the rocket launcher, in FIG. 5 a head 36 is illustrated for forming a chamber 38 containing an O- ring 39 to provide a greater holding means on the chamber wall. The extension of the flare from the end of the head 36 requires the extra holding force provided by the O-ring 39 to make sure that sufficient pressure has been built up at the base of the flare to change its travel in the trajectory on which it was launched.

We claim:

1. In a rocket launcher, a tube, a spring pressed plunger in said tube having a firing pin on the end, a hollow head on the end of the tube containing an external thread and forming a chamber for a rocket, an internally threaded sleeve on the end of the head having an inner shoulder forming an annular groove, and a resilient ring with said groove in position to circumferentially engage the forward end of the rocket when disposed within the chamber with the body of the rocket circumferentially engaged by the ring as the rocket passes therethrough during launching.

2. In a rocket launcher as recited in claim 1, wherein the head on the end of the tube has at least one hole sloping upwardly through the chamber wall toward the launching end for the escape of the rocket gas which is 5. In a rocket launcher as recited in claim 1, wherein said ring when expanded within the groove by the rocket as it passes therethrough produces a restraining force circumferentially thereabout as it moves from the chamber.

6. In a rocket launching device as recited in claim 1, wherein the forward end of the rocket has an ogive portion which circumferentially engages said ring when within the chamber. 

1. In a rocket launcher, a tube, a spring pressed plunger in said tube having a firing pin on the end, a hollow head on the end of the tube containing an external thread and forming a chamber for a rocket, an internally threaded sleeve on the end of the head having an inner shoulder forming an annular groove, and a resilient ring with said groove in position to circumferentially engage the forward end of the rocket when disposed within the chamber with the body of the rocket circumferentially engaged by the ring as the rocket passes therethrough during launching.
 1. In a rocket launcher, a tube, a spring pressed plunger in said tube having a firing pin on the end, a hollow head on the end of the tube containing an external thread and forming a chamber for a rocket, an internally threaded sleeve on the end of the head having an inner shoulder forming an annular groove, and a resilient ring with said groove in position to circumferentially engage the forward end of the rocket when disposed within the chamber with the body of the rocket circumferentially engaged by the ring as the rocket passes therethrough during launching.
 2. In a rocket launcher as recited in claim 1, wherein the head on the end of the tube has at least one hole sloping upwardly through the chamber wall toward the launching end for the escape of the rocket gas which is directed upwardly away from the held tube.
 3. In a rocket launcher as recited in claim 1, wherein said ring is made of spring wire and is split to have the ends movable away from each other while retained in the groove.
 4. In a rocket launcher as recited in claim 1, wherein said ring is expanded within the groove by the body of the rocket as it passes therethrough providing a restraining force thereon.
 5. In a rocket launcher as recited in claim 1, wherein said ring when expanded within the groove by the rocket as it passes therethrough produces a restraining force circumferentially thereabout as it moves from the chamber. 